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By India Today News Desk: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, while answering a question on why there had been no talks with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar during his visit replied, “Unless India reviews the action it took on August 5, 2019 (abrogation of Article 370), Pakistan is not in a position to engage bilaterally with India”. Bhutto is currently in India for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Goa.
Speaking exclusively to India Today TV’s Consulting Editor Rajdeep Sardesai on Friday, the Pakistani minister said, “As far as Pakistan’s position on bilateral relations with India or any meaningful engagement or dialogue with my Indian counterpart, our position remains unchanged.”
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Bilawal Bhutto Zardari arrived in India on Thursday to attend the SCO meet, which was held in Goa from May 4 to 5. Bhutto’s visit marked the first visit by a Pakistani foreign minister to India since Hina Rabbani Khar met the former External Affairs Minister of India, SM Krishna, in 2011.
The Pakistani foreign minister said the country wishes to quell terrorism “not because India said it or the Indian government said so, but because we want to end this menace”. He said terrorism has caused the “largest number of casualties” in Pakistan among any of the other SCO countries.
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“Pakistan has suffered the most. I myself am a victim of terrorism, so Pakistan and myself are wholly committed to combatting this menace,” added Bilawal Bhutto.
Bhutto’s statement seems to be a direct reference to Foreign Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s speech during the SCO meet where the latter said, “The menace of terrorism continues unabated. There can be no justification for terrorism, including cross-border terrorism.” He added that “the terrorism menace and terror funding must be stopped.”
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Speaking on India’s stance that it will not engage in bilateral talks with Pakistan unless the latter controls cross-border terrorism and stops alleged funding of terror outfits, Bilawal Bhutto stated, “As far as accusations are concerned, we are willing to engage any concerns that India might have but India will also have to address our concerns.”
“India will have to explain what Kulbhushan Jadhav — a state actor, a navy commander, was doing in Pakistan carrying out terrorist attacks on Pakistani soil. Does that not come under cross-border terrorism?,” he asked.
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Kulbhushan Jadhav is a retired Indian Navy officer who was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April 2017.
Bilawal Bhutto also mentioned the 2007 Samjhauta Express bombing where around 70 people, mostly Pakistanis, were killed, to take a potshot at India and said, “We are yet to see any justice.”
Earlier, sources had told India Today that S Jaishankar and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari shook hands and exchanged greetings at the dinner, which was held to mark the beginning of the two-day SCO meet.
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Published On:
May 5, 2023
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